Clever
by Navenna
Summary: A new house is built near the burrow, and one of it's new occupants stirs things up. (Short chapters, open to suggestions, love reviews, and the rating is probably due to change with time)
1. Chapter One

A/N: Well, here it is... my first fan fic. I've always wondered about this idea, and it might take a while to unfold into everything it should be, but I hope it's not too boring. The chapters are all pretty short... and I really hope I didn't slaughter the characters when I chose to write about them. ; Anyhow, R&R  
  
Oh, and I'd like to mention that these characters do not belong to me, as well as some of the settings and phrases... so don't take legal actions on my arse for ripping of JKR's stuff!  
  
- - - -  
  
With one last group laugh everyone quieted as Ron walked into the Burrow's common room alone, and sulking.  
  
Hermione's expression quickly darkened to match Ron's. Ginny met Ron a few steps inside the door and patted his arm comfortingly and made a few small tutting noises.  
  
The twins exchanged a rare serious look before George broke the silence.  
  
"No Harry?"  
  
Ron shook his head, looking pale.  
  
"Those muggles... they're horrible..."  
  
"What happened?" Ginny asked, still patting his arm and looking concerned.  
  
"Kicked me out on my bum and told me not to come back until next summer... and I thought they were supposed to be my family."  
  
Everyone, except Ron, who was already facing the doorway into the kitchen spun around quickly at the sound of Harry's voice.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione squealed, launching herself at him from her spot on the floor.  
He caught her in his arms and hugged her, laughing.  
  
Ginny vaulted across the room and hugged Harry too, who grinned bashfully, as did Ginny when she realized she was, in fact, touching him and jumped back, stumbling over her own feet.  
  
Normally this was the point where she turn and fled to her room, bright faced and feeling like a fool, but Fred and George intercepted her and forced her to sit back down on the couch.  
  
Everyone in the room grinned knowingly as the twins turned to Harry, and solemnly walked to him.  
  
"Well ol' bloke, we recon that this time in your life is very trying and hard," Fred started.  
  
"And we just want you to know," George added, full of mock seriousness.  
  
"That if you ever need to talk or a place to stay," Fred said, his grin masked behind years of experience.  
  
"We're here for you mate... us, the family, and Hermione." George finished.  
  
"Erm, thanks Fred, George." Harry said, a small smile on his face. Hermione had moved away from him now, watching the twins as they gave Harry a short lecture about how to overcome this troubled time in his life.  
  
Once the twins finished their sermon they both knocked the wind out of Harry as they bear hugged him. Finally setting the breathless Harry back on the floor they grinned.  
  
"Have a nice trip then?" George asked, following his brother back to their spots on the other end of Ginny's couch.  
  
"Yeah, it was brilliant." Harry grinned at Ron who grinned back.  
  
Harry sat in one of the armchairs, looking happily around at all of them. They all knew he was thinking about how he was where he belonged now and they felt the same way, having Harry at the Burrow seemed to complete things.  
  
"That house down the road is finished and a muggle moving van is there right now, want to go find out what kind of people our new neighbors are?" Ron asked, still standing.  
  
Everyone exchanged looks, and then Hermione shrugged, leaving her book opened to her page. "Yes, let's do that, I could go for a walk right now."  
  
Fred and George shook their heads. "No thanks Ronnykins, we don't have much interest in watching a bunch of muggles... we'll stay here."  
  
Harry was already up, and ready to go.  
  
They all looked at Ginny, whose face was still bright red. "I think I'll stay as well." She muttered.  
  
"Alright, see you later then." Harry said to no one in particular as the three of them left. 


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: Thank you to the one person who has reviewed this. ( You rock.  
  
It was a bright day outside, and the burrow lumbered up into the clear blue sky, looking more slanted and out of place in all it's oddness. The trio walked down the front path and onto the road, heading in the opposite direction of town.  
  
Sure enough, in front of the rather normal looking house that Harry would expect to see on Privet Drive, was a moving van and a new looking green car. Men worked carrying things from the truck to the lawn, while others carried things from the lawn into the house. A tall and very thin woman stood on the lawn, between the truck and unloaded things, yelling at the workers.  
  
The three exchanged looks, and kept on walking. When they got closer they saw that there was very little to actually look at, the workers were nearly finished, and the woman wasn't getting much of a reaction. It was almost disappointing.  
  
"Mum? Where do you want the box of books?" A voice called from one of the upstairs windows. It was a girl who looked no older than the three of them were. They looked up, not listening to the mother's answer.  
  
"Do we know her?" Harry asked the other two, staring at the girl until she disappeared inside again.  
  
"Huh?" Ron asked, looking at Harry and then at the window again to find her gone.  
  
"I don't think so Harry... she didn't look familiar to me." Hermione answered.  
  
Harry didn't press the subject.  
  
"Yeah... so, do we keep walking or head back?"  
  
"Head back." Hermione said, wanting to return to her book if there was nothing better to do.  
  
"Keep going." Ron answered at the same time.  
  
For a moment they glared at each other, then looked at Harry. He smiled slightly, being their tie breaker. Trouble was, he was indifferent. Going back or going on... it didn't matter as long as he was with them.  
  
"Hey!" They all turned to look up the hill to where the twins and Ginny stood. "Come on, mum wants to talk to us!"  
  
The trio looked about at each other and shrugged slightly.  
  
"Guess we'll go back then." Harry said.  
  
The other two headed back, but he paused for a moment, looking back at the new house. The girl still had not returned to the window. He frowned deeply, not being able to shake the feeling that he knew her before starting off after Ron and Hermione. 


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: Third chapter, and no... I still don't own the characters or most of the setting... so no legal actions will be taken against me, thanks a bunch...  
  
- - - -  
  
"What do you need to talk to us about Mrs. Weasly?" Hermione asked as they entered the kitchen, each taking their respective spots at the table and looking at Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny's mother expectantly. They hadn't done anything to get into trouble... yet.  
  
"Chores." Ginny groaned.  
  
"Now, Harry and Hermione I don't expect you to do any of these since your our guests.  
  
"No, that's alright Mrs. Weasly, we'll help out." Harry said quickly, glancing at Hermione, who looked ready to say the same thing.  
  
Mrs. Weasly's face creased into a small frown. "If you two insist you can help Ron and the others with their chores."  
  
"Ginny, you're in charge of keeping the living room and the kitchen clean, that includes doing dishes." Ginny looked as though her worst fears had been confirmed.  
  
"Fred and George, you're both in charge of keeping the lawn and garden looking nice, and the bathrooms clean." Fred pretended to faint in fright as George keeled over onto the table, hitting his head rather loudly in Harry's opinion.  
  
Mrs. Weasley ignored them.  
  
"Ronald, you're in charge of making breakfast while I'm away with your father, also in keeping the gnomes out of your father's garden."  
  
Ron groaned just as Ginny had.  
  
"All of you are expected to keep your rooms neat, which includes," She gave Ron a very long stare, "keeping your room clean."  
  
More groans came from them as she continued on. Hermione and Harry were glad that they didn't have a list of their own to do, just the prospect of helping out if they felt like it began to feel like a burden by the time all the chores were assigned to a gloomy looking red haired teen.  
  
"Now then, your father and I are going into London for a few days on business. While we're away I expect you to all do your chores."  
  
Ron and Ginny exchanged looks of puzzlement, and their mother seemed to read their minds before continuing on. "I'm leaving Hermione in charge."  
  
Everyone turned to look at her. She looked down at the table cloth, turning red. Mrs. Weasley had asked her two days before hand if she would take charge while she was gone.  
  
"Now then, take care all of you, don't do anything foolish."  
  
Now all eyes were fixed on the twins, who pretended to take that as an insult.  
  
"We'd never!" Fred replied indignantly.  
  
"Remember, no magic during break, if you go to play quidditch make sure you're not seen, and for heaven's sake, don't kill each other boys." She rushed about the room and kissed each of her children on the forehead or cheek, whichever was closest and gave Hermione and Harry a quick squeeze before heading off. 


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: Disclaimer hasn't changed yet...  
  
Thanks to those of you who reviewed (especially Sunny- nice to know that someone is interested in this story. )  
  
Chapter 4-  
  
Once Mrs.Weasley had gone all of them walked back into the living room and flopped down, looking at each other with expression that could be interpreted only as "now what?"  
  
"Want to go into town?" Hermione suggested. There was nothing in town, indeed, it was hardly big enough to be called a town. There was a small muggle school, post office, library, tavern, and a handful of houses. No one wanted to go.  
  
Ginny stood up, signaling for Hermione to go with her. "Did I show you what came in the mail today?" She grinned and Hermione followed her up the stairs, leaving the boys alone.  
  
"So what do we do?" Ron asked, watching the girl's back disappear up the stairs.  
  
"Well, what did you guys find out about the muggle house? Anything look promising over there?"  
  
"No." Ron said as Harry said the opposite.  
  
The twins both looked at them in confusion.  
  
"Yes or no?"  
  
Harry looked at Ron, who let him talk, still finding the subject of the house boring. "They were nearly finished moving into the place when we got there..."  
  
"Yeah," Ron added, too bored to sit out of a conversation, no matter what the subject matter was, "and there was some girl in the upstairs who shouted down about books or something."  
  
"I swear I've seen her somewhere before." Harry said, more to himself than the others.  
  
"Well, I reckon that means we're going for a stroll in that direction tonight then?"  
  
No one had anything better to do, so they headed off, the twins on either side of Ron and Harry walking on the end of the line, next to George.  
  
"So, you lot think living under Hermione's rule will be better or worse than living under mum's?" Ron asked lightly as they walked.  
  
"Worse." Fred responded.  
  
"Far Worse." George said.  
  
"She'll probably make us wake up at dawn and..." Fred shivered. "Make our beds."  
  
Harry grinned. "That's downright horrible of her."  
  
"What's her problem anyhow?" Ron asked. "How'd she manage to get off easy and be put in charge?"  
  
"I think mum trusts her more than us... her own children..."  
  
Harry put a comforting hand on Fred's shoulder, grinning. "There there, I'm sure there's a different reason."  
  
"Yeah," George said, grinning as well. "Maybe Hermione hexed mum into thinking it was the right thing to do?"  
  
They all laughed as they walked, they were nearly at the large muggle house now. Focusing on the house, they all quieted and looked on at it in silence. 


	5. Chapter Five

A/N: Hello to my readers. :) I thought I might warn you. I'm leaving on a family vacation on Sunday, so this will be the last update for about a week. When I get back I'll post the chapter after this one. :) Thanks for the reviews.  
  
Chapter 5-  
  
From where they stood they could hear voices shouting, though they couldn't make out the words. Harry and Ron exchanged looks and walked foreword, listening intently to the muffled shouts. It was no easier to hear, but the twins joined them on the front walk of the house, trying to discern what the shouting was all about as well.  
  
Through the front window they could see two people silhouetted in front of a lamp. There was the thin frame of the mother they had seen earlier standing on the lawn, and the then a slightly shorter and thicker frame belonging to the second voice they heard.  
  
Soon one of the shapes disappeared and the shouting stopped as the front door slammed behind the same girl Harry and Ron and seen calling from the upstairs window. She looked considerably more upset now than she had before. Her oval face was red, and a few tears streamed down her cheek.  
  
She saw the group standing there and hastily brushed the tears away, looking down at the ground timidly.  
  
"Did you lot hear all that?" She asked, not looking at any of them.  
  
Her voice sparked something in Harry's mind. He had heard that voice before... but where?  
  
"No, we could hear shouting, but not what you said." Ron told the girl.  
  
Both twins were staring at her in a way that suggested they had the same feeling Harry had about her.  
  
"Good... I'm really sorry,"  
  
"Sorry?" Fred asked, cutting her off quickly.  
  
She smiled slightly, walking away from her door. "Yeah, my mum is a bit fussy about things."  
  
"What sort of things?" Harry asked in spite of not wanting to. He knew, had Hermione been there, that she would have shot him a cold look to tell him to shut up and stop asking rude questions.  
  
"School, my father, everything..." She was now standing with the boys in a loose circle, though she looked much calmer than when she first exited the house.  
  
There was a short silence, where they all looked around at each other blankly. Harry's mind was still racing to figure out who this girl was.  
  
"What do school and your father have to do with anything?" George asked, taking Ron's arm and forcefully turning him, to walk back down the path and into the open road.  
"Want to join us on our walk then?" Fred inquired.  
  
"I'd love to, thanks." She turned and walked with the three red heads and Harry. "Well, mum is upset because I'm only staying with her over summer holiday, and then I'm going back to live with my dad during the school holidays. She wanted me to quit at Hogwarts and go to a muggle school now that she's got a real place of her own."  
  
All of them stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her. Hogwarts? 


End file.
